The 10th Annual Creek Week Cleanup is now behind us, but as the Fountain Creek Watershed District looks to the future, it will continue to draw on the same values that have made Creek Week such a huge success. The emphasis on watershed-wide collaboration across jurisdictions, sectors, and communities was foundational in how the District was established in 2009.

Creek Week showcases the importance of fostering partnerships to increase the effectiveness of the district’s impact, and has an opendoor nature where everyone can contribute to a cleaner and safer watershed for all.

From its humble beginnings with just over 600 volunteers, Creek Week has grown to be the largest cleanup event in Colorado, and, some say, the country. This year alone, from Sept. 30 — Oct. 8, over 1,200 volunteers in 10 communities removed 12.5 tons of trash. Without Creek Week, almost 200 tons of litter and debris would remain on our land and in our waters, or could have been swept clear down to the Gulf of Mexico. Those are measurable results of an incredibly impactful program executed by volunteers who care about their communities.

In addition to inspiring thousands of volunteers of all ages and abilities each fall, Creek Week has evolved to include several additional elements. A “Clean and Crawl” event is now part of the annual programming. Volunteers, (ages 21+) enjoy a leisurely pubcrawl litter-cleanup along Tejon Street with some beer stops along the way.

Land stewardship has become a regular facet — where volunteers are going beyond cleanups to work with land managers (think City and County Park Departments) to remove non-native plants, and plant native ones in their place.

The state’s only Brewshed Alliance is also a program of the Watershed District, and this year 11 breweries and District staff brewed a special “Impactful IPA” to commemorate 10 decades of stewardship. This is a limited release where $1 per glass of beer sold goes back to support watershed education.

The Fountain Creek Watershed is a diverse, complex, growing, multijurisdictional asset. There is no resource more precious than water. There have been serious disagreements about water use and management in our region, to be sure. But the Fountain Creek Watershed District’s work, including Creek Week and $35 million in creek restoration projects to date, are an indication that we can come together around a common cause. And frankly, we need to.

The watershed district’s work is proof positive that collaboration is critical, relationships are invaluable, and that their organization has a strong commitment to continue to protect and enhance the health of the Fountain Creek Watershed.

For more information, visit www. fountain-crk.org